How long does prediabetes take to turn into diabetes?

Written by Lin Xiang Dong

Endocrinology

Updated on August 31, 2024

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How long it takes for prediabetes to progress into diabetes varies, with no definitive answer, as it differs from person to person. Whether prediabetes will develop into diabetes largely depends on blood sugar control. Clinical experience shows that some individuals never progress to diabetes after adjusting their diet and exercise routines. However, if a patient does not take their condition seriously and fails to change their lifestyle, it might take as little as 2-3 years or as long as 5-10 years to develop into diabetes. Therefore, it is crucial to manage lifestyle promptly upon prediabetes diagnosis, paying attention to blood sugar monitoring and pancreatic function tests.

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Written by Zhao Dan

Orthopedics

2min 5sec

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Gestational diabetes standards

Before addressing this question, let's first clarify another concept: if diabetes is diagnosed before pregnancy, this is referred to as pre-existing diabetes in pregnancy, which is different from gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes refers to cases where there is no pre-existing diabetes diagnosis before pregnancy, but abnormal blood glucose levels are detected after becoming pregnant. Generally, a glucose screening test is conducted between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy. Currently in China, there are two approaches: the one-step and the two-step methods. The one-step method involves a direct 75-gram oral glucose tolerance test. However, most of China uses the two-step method, which starts with a 50-gram glucose challenge test. If the blood glucose level one hour after eating is greater than or equal to 7.8 mmol/L, a 75-gram oral glucose tolerance test is recommended. For the 75-gram glucose test, the fasting blood glucose level should generally be less than or equal to 5.6 mmol/L, one hour post-glucose intake should be 10.3 mmol/L, two hours post-glucose should be 8.6 mmol/L, and three hours post-glucose should be 6.7 mmol/L. If two or more of these values exceed the diagnostic criteria, gestational diabetes can be diagnosed. If only one value is abnormal, impaired glucose tolerance can be diagnosed. It is recommended that anyone who experiences abnormal blood glucose levels during pregnancy undergo another 75-gram oral glucose tolerance test six months post-pregnancy to determine if blood glucose levels are still abnormal and whether treatment should continue.

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Written by Li Hui Zhi

Endocrinology

41sec

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Early symptoms of type 2 diabetes

The typical symptoms of type 2 diabetes are referred to as "three excesses and one deficiency." The three excesses include excessive thirst and dry mouth, increased appetite with frequent hunger, and increased urination. The one deficiency refers to weight loss; these are the more typical symptoms. Some patients might often find out about their elevated blood sugar during routine health checks at work. Others may seek medical advice due to issues like skin itchiness or wounds that heal poorly after injury. Some might mainly experience numbness in their hands and feet, or blurred vision among other symptoms.

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Written by Lin Xiang Dong

Endocrinology

46sec

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How long does prediabetes take to turn into diabetes?

How long it takes for prediabetes to progress into diabetes varies, with no definitive answer, as it differs from person to person. Whether prediabetes will develop into diabetes largely depends on blood sugar control. Clinical experience shows that some individuals never progress to diabetes after adjusting their diet and exercise routines. However, if a patient does not take their condition seriously and fails to change their lifestyle, it might take as little as 2-3 years or as long as 5-10 years to develop into diabetes. Therefore, it is crucial to manage lifestyle promptly upon prediabetes diagnosis, paying attention to blood sugar monitoring and pancreatic function tests.

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Written by Lin Xiang Dong

Endocrinology

50sec

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Causes of Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes refers to the abnormality of blood sugar levels that occurs during pregnancy, at which time it is called gestational diabetes. The reason for the occurrence of gestational diabetes is due to significant changes in the body's endocrine hormones after pregnancy. The body releases many hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone, which can increase insulin resistance. Thus, a much greater amount of insulin is needed to maintain normal blood sugar levels. If the pancreatic beta cells are not sufficient to compensate for the increased insulin secretion needed to meet the normal metabolic requirements caused by these resistance factors, then elevated blood sugar and abnormal glucose metabolism occur, ultimately leading to gestational diabetes.

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Written by Lin Xiang Dong

Endocrinology

43sec

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How to reduce sugar in a diabetic diet?

Dietary control is the most important method of treatment for diabetes. If dietary control is improper, all hypoglycemic drugs, including insulin, will not be very effective, and the focus of dietary management in diabetes is to control the intake of carbohydrates. Our Chinese diet is primarily based on carbohydrates like rice. Mainly, we control the amount of rice consumed, with each meal (lunch and dinner) consisting of about 100 to 200 grams of rice. This is complemented by plenty of vegetables and a certain amount of lean meat to enhance satiety. By controlling the intake of carbohydrates in our daily lives, blood sugar levels can drop significantly.